Tunnel Earth Tubes

The earth tubes from the tunnel (dead-end tunnel, now a pantry/wine cellar) are underground and insulated. 

covered and seeded earth tubes

same area from another angle

They only need two things more - the grates/screening/filter over the exterior and interior ends, and the house to be covered with dirt and the PAHS umbrella. Oh, a minor thing - there is a wire in the tube which needs to be replaced with parachute cord.  This cord is used to pull a cleaning rag thru the tube on a regular schedule.

Electricity? Stucco? Water?

We still have questions to be answered to our satisfaction.  Especially concerning waterproofing as we still have some persistent water in the house.  We did acquire a pump to help bail the lowest part of the house, in the West Annex.  This will help limit the condensation appearing on the walls and metal arches.  Needless to say, we are not looking forward to the rain prediction over the next few days.
The electrician has been here and installed a meter box and the circuit breaker panel in the garage and buried two grounds.  Bill built the wall for the panel.

The stucco person, Wade,  came the next day with the suggestion of using a foam board on the exterior walls to provide a smooth surface to stucco on. He told us that we had better reinstall the meter box, putting a foam board between the box and the tyvek or there will be leaks if it isn't there but it is on the rest of the surface.  Wade will be out next week to do just that.  He was here to see the project and get details in order to provide us an estimate of time and cost, on any (and all) stucco and plastering to be done.  It was agreed that the garage South face will be the first job to be completed. 

We await an electricity inspection, and then power company installation of the meter and then the power cable.